Thursday's boys basketball district capsules

Class 2A District 5

Dike-New Hartford (19-3) vs. Waterloo Columbus (6-16)
When: 6:30 p.m.
Where: Aplington-Parkersburg High School, Parkersburg
At stake: The winner will play either Aplington-Parkersburg or Jesup in a district final at Waverly-Shell Rock on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.
Dike-New Hartford key players
Ben Latusek, sr. (11.9 ppg., 7.0 rpg., 2.6 apg., 37 steals, 20 blocks)
Connor Blough, sr. (11.5 ppg., 2.3 apg., 36 steals, 3.0 rpg.)
Broden Coulter, sr. (10.6 ppg., 2.5 apg., 4.6 rpg., 34.0 3-point percentage)
Waterloo Columbus key players
Teion Sales, sr. (14.6 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 5.8 apg., 36 total steals)
Alex Zike, so. (9.6 ppg., 40.0 3-point percentage [44-of-110], 3.0 rpg.)
Joe Duggan, sr. (7.7 ppg., 29.8 3-point percentage [34-of-114], 1.9 rpg.)
Previous meetings: Dike-New Hartford defeated Waterloo Columbus 62-38 on Jan. 14 and 52-40 on Feb. 7.
Outlook: While it can be difficult to beat a team three times, Dike-New Hartford has been near untouchable against 2A competition, with their only 2A loss coming against Jesup back on Dec. 13. The Wolverines can’t afford to overlook the Sailors potential to shoot 3s, but D-NH’s tenacity in the transition game and on defense give the Wolverines a huge advantage.

Class 1A District 5

North Butler (7-13) at AGWSR (14-6)
When: Approximately 8 p.m. (After Don Bosco/Nashua-Plainfield)
Where: AGWSR High School, Ackley
At stake: The winner will play either Tripoli or Wapsie Valley in Dunkerton on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m.
North Butler key players
Dylan Clipperton, jr. (14.7 ppg., 3.6 rpg., 3.3 apg., 1.8 spg.)
Rhett Lammers, so. (10.1 ppg., 2.8 rpg., 36 assists, 29 steals)
Kendrick Miller, jr. (7.1 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 19 assists)
AGWSR key players
Nathan Karsjens, sr. (18.6 ppg., 7.8 rpg., 28 blocks)
Jay Janssen, sr. (12.9 ppg., 5.8 rpg., 2.8 apg., 25 steals, 3.0 3ppg.)
Mason Eilderts, sr. (7.8 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 3.3 apg., 24 steals)
Outlook: The Cougars are only allowing 43.3 points per game entering Thursday’s matchup, one of the 10 best scoring defenses in 1A. And if Janssen and Alex Hames get hot from outside the 3-point arc, it could be a long night for North Butler. The Bearcats are not often mistake-prone, but may lack the rebounding strength needed to overcome a player like Karsjens under the glass. As long as the shots fall for AGWSR, expect the Cougars to move forward in this postseason opener.  
 

Class 1A District 6

Grundy Center (6-16) at Gladbrook-Reinbeck (20-2)
When: Approximately 8 p.m. (After Belle Plaine/GMG)
Where: Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School, Reinbeck
At stake: The winner will play either Belle Plaine or GMG in a district semifinal in Reinbeck on Tuesday at 8 p.m.
Grundy Center key players
Bryce Flater (14.5 ppg., 7.5 rpg., 2.5 spg., 44 assists)
Chase Boren (9.7 ppg., 2.2 3ppg., 48 assists, 21 steals)
Braidan Buhrow (9.7 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 2.4 apg., 10 blocks)
Gladbrook-Reinbeck key players
Joe Smoldt, sr. (29.9 ppg., 3.6 3ppg., 5.0 apg., 2.8 spg., 4.3 rpg.)
Caden Kickbush, jr. (11.4 ppg., 34 3-pointers made, 34 steals, 3.8 rpg.)
Tyler Pierce, sr. (10.4 ppg., 6.2 rpg., missed first five games of season)
Previous meetings: G-R swept the season series with a 71-45 win in Reinbeck on Dec. 13 and a 72-57 victory in Grundy Center on Jan. 27.
Outlook: Grundy Center has shown sparks at times during the season, including a stretch of winning four out of five games early in January. The Spartans have confidence that if everything comes together, they can play anyone anytime, but they know the Rebels are a tall task. Joe Smoldt is looking to lead his team back to the state tournament, and with Tyler Pierce in the lineup at full strength and Caden Kickbush providing a big scoring boost when defenses clamp down on Smoldt, G-R has been able to consistently finish games. The Rebels ride a 12-game winning streak heading into Thursday’s matchup.